Should Christian imagery of the Virgin Mary continue to inform contemporary understandings of femininity and, more specifically, white femininity? Or, is such imagery in need of change?

Richard Dyer appears to find Christian imagery of the Virgin Mary highly specific and thus, restrictive, in its representation of women. If the Virgin Mary represents the ideal of virginity -- and purity -- as well as motherhood, then non-white representations of femininity which diverge from those Christian ideals will inevitably continue to be viewed with condescension or derision.

Are photographers and filmmakers to blame for privileging white bodies and faces through their art, or are the media themselves technologically flawed given their reliance on lighting?

Non-white bodies and faces are undoubtedly represented differently than white ones, as the latter have historically served -- and continue to serve -- as the human norm, or the most 'basic' and 'natural' type...